Thousands of workers in so-called “Section 39” organisations, which receive state funding to provide services for the elderly and people with disabilities, have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action.
Spitu said today its members voted by 96pc in favour of strike action in a long-running dispute over what workers see as low pay – and those in the sector want their wages to be directly linked to public servants’ pay which would mean they would get pay rises at the same time as those directly employed by the state.
Unions and employers are due to meet at the Workplace Relations Commission on Monday for talks to resolve the dispute. Organisations where workers were balloted include Cobh Community Hospital, Disability Federation of Ireland, and the Rehab Group.
Mayo TD Paul Lawless said that the Government’s ongoing failure to address the crisis in the disability and care sectors has now resulted in strike action.
“We cannot claim to prioritise the needs of vulnerable people unless we can address this core issues relating to the disability sector,” the Aontú Deputy said. “The core and fundamental issue is recruitment and retention. The CEO of the Disability Federation of Ireland stated that this issue is having a catastrophic impact. The reason that it is having such an impact and that there are so many difficulties is because two-thirds of disability services are delivered by the voluntary sector. This Government has utterly failed the voluntary sector.”
“It is interesting that commitments were made in the lead-up to the election but that these do not appear in the programme for Government,” he noted. “All the people in these organisations are seeking is equal pay for equal work. There is not a Minister in this Chamber who would accept an inferior pay scale for delivering the same work of his or her counterpart. The Government would not accept these terms for themselves but see no issue in foisting them upon the caregivers in our community.”
Deputy Lawless warned that the Government’s continued neglect has now led directly to industrial action—a crisis that could have been entirely avoided had the Government upheld its commitments.
“I will make a plea to the Minister of State on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people who work in the voluntary sector. These people want to continue to deliver these services but they are finding it incredibly difficult. Nobody in the care sector wants to resort to strike action but it’s necessary when the Government refuses to honour their pre-election promises.
With the strike vote now confirmed, Deputy Lawless is demanding immediate intervention from the Government to prevent essential services from collapsing.
“I ask the Minister of State to do what’s right and give those who care for the most vulnerable people the respect, recognition, and pay they deserve,” he said.